BMJ  2003;327:635-636 (20 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7416.635

Editorial

Comparing cannabis with tobacco—again

Link between cannabis and mortality is still not established

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A recent editorial in this journal implied that as many as 30 000 deaths in Britain every year might be caused by smoking cannabis.1 The authors reasoned that since the prevalence of smoking cannabis is about one quarter that of smoking tobacco the number of deaths attributable to smoking cannabis might be about one quarter of the number attributed to tobacco cigarettes (about 120 000). The idea that the use of cannabis increases mortality is worthy of closer examination. How do we assess this issue?

Firstly, we need to examine published data regarding use of cannabis and mortality. These data come from two large studies. The first study done in a cohort of 45 450 male Swedish conscripts, age 18-20 when interviewed about the use of cannabis, reported no increase in the 15 year mortality associated with the use of cannabis after social factors were taken into account.2 The second . . . [Full text of this article]

Stephen Sidney, associate director for clinical research

Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Division of Research, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA (sxs@dor.kaiser.org)


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Tan, C., Hatam, N, Treasure, T. (2006). Bullous disease of the lung and cannabis smoking: insufficient evidence for a causative link. JRSM 99: 77-80 [Full text]  
  • Highet, G. (2004). The role of cannabis in supporting young people's cigarette smoking: a qualitative exploration. Health Educ Res 19: 635-643 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • (2003). Hit Parade. BMJ 327: 1234-1234 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Separating cannabis effects from tobacco's harm.
richard Fielding
bmj.com, 19 Sep 2003 [Full text]
What about the behavioural effects of cannabis?
Trevor LP Watts
bmj.com, 22 Sep 2003 [Full text]
Canabis cookies as harmreduction
Helga Maria Rhein
bmj.com, 22 Sep 2003 [Full text]
How can we compare cannabis with tobacco?
A.K Al-Sheikhli
bmj.com, 23 Sep 2003 [Full text]
wrong reference date
Fernando M Rivas
bmj.com, 26 Sep 2003 [Full text]
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ